Maariful Qur'an

Surah Al-Muddaththir: 74 : 1 - 56

634

Surah Al-Muddaththir

(The Enveloped One)

This Surah is Makkl, and it has 56 verses and 2 sections

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful

Verses 1 - 56

V ' > 1 >1 * ' t ' * » V , ' * * ' < t ' ' * " * ^ i ' * ■* ' ' >

jjij ^!xi kjj <^w^> \VyJ^s 'aaajC <^n^> Ijuip lli'V

^ 4T ^ f .r^ (*J 4T t j J? 4^ 4 j**1 4uf
yjj ^ IwUb JU3 ^rr)> ^psi^-lj ^pl ^n)> ^-oj

*ja!Xa dLjSi t«j 4r -\)> jA^ aIJJsL- <^o)> yLlJl Jy ^1 oj 4^4

<^r.)> j^s- 4***J l^J> ^r^)> ^r-M^ ^>-iy ^ta)>j^j 4TV)>

^JiJ a^Vi U^- 1^5 ^ VI jUl U^r U j

v'j uQ i^'i jIjIi sisjij o^i ^;i3i * ij^r

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635

'Ja il J^J JJSIS' li^. ill Sljl TiU oj^ilj

4n> ^yy ^ ^ ^ ^ r^: ^ ^

l$il <$rt)> 'jklA Til ^ijiilj ^r7 M J^J 4^r7 j-^J ^
y-bj jl ^Jbm jl *U j^J ^ri)>^iJ I jjJj 4r»)> ^>ol c5^*->

^ '<S>^*^ 4^7 i&j*^ Cf" 4* '7 <5^*^

^ii^ ^LlJl dli (Uj 4^r7 (S^2^1 ^ 41T7

l/>- 4n> j <i°)> u^^11 1:5 J

> z * ' *r .v. *.'."><*m * -«?r> ,i x ' » . *-» -v'tJu
Jj }to ^oy^ o _riu^« U>w y$i o' jhR (Xr*1 J5 J? 4° T

j ^ e^i *l& J^Ii ^otfy Ail 4^^ 'Lr^ Oy^i^

O you, enveloped in a mantle, [1] stand up and warn, [2] and
pronounce the greatness of your Lord, [3] and purify your
clothes, [4] and keep away from filth, [5] and do no favour (to
anyone merely) to ask more (in exchange), [6] and for the sake
of your Lord, observe patience. [7] For when the trumpet is
blown, [8] that day will be a difficult day, [9] not easy for the
disbelievers. [10] Leave me (to deal) with the one whom I have
created lonely, [11] and I gave him extensive wealth, [12] and
sons present before (his) eyes, [13] and extended (power and
honour) to him fairly well. [14] Still, he aspires that I should
give him more. [15] Never! He is inimical towards Our verses.
[16] I will force him to climb (the mountain) sa'ud. [17] He
pondered and suggested. [18] Death onto him! How (bad) is the
suggestion he has put forward! [19] Again, death unto him!
How (bad) is the suggestion he has put forward! [20] Then he
looked (to those around him,) [21] then he frowned and
scowled, [22] then turned his back, and waxed proud, [23] then
said, "This is nothing but traditional magic; [24] this is

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nothing but saying of a mortal." [25] I will put him into Saqar
(Hell). [26] And what can let you know what Saqar is? [27] It
neither spares (anything inside it from burning) nor leaves
(any disbeliever outside). [28] It will disfigure the skins. [29]
Appointed on it are nineteen (wardens). [30] And We did not
make wardens of the Fire but (from among) angels, and did
not fix their number but as a test for those who disbelieve, so
that those who are given the Book may come to believe, and
those who believe may increase in belief, and so that those
who are given the Book and those who believe may not doubt
(its correctness), and so that those having malady in their
hearts and the disbelievers say, "What has Allah meant by
this (sentence that is as strange as a) proverb?" Thus Allah
lets go astray whomever He wills, and leads to the right path
whomever He wills. And no one knows the hosts of your Lord
but He. And this is nothing else but a reminder for mankind.
[31] Truly, I swear by the moon, [32] and by the night when it
goes back, [33] and by the morning when it becomes bright,
[34] it (saqar: Hell) is one of the greatest things [35] as a
warning to the mankind, [36] to the one who wishes to come
forward (towards good deeds) or to go back (from them). [37]
Everyone will be detained (in the Hell) because of what he
did, [38] except the People of the Right, (i.e. those who will be
given their Book of Deeds in their right hands) [39] who will
be in gardens, asking [40] about the guilty persons, [41] 'What
has brought you to? (Saqar: Hell)" [42] They will say, "We
were not among those who offered salah, (obligatory prayer)
[43] and we used not to give food to the needy, [44] and we used
to indulge (in mocking at the truth) along with those who
indulged, [45] and used to deny the Day of Requital, [46] until
when we were overtaken by that which is certain." [47] Then
intercession of intercessors will not avail them. [48] So what
has happened to them that they are turning away from the
Reminder, [49] as if they were wild donkeys, [50] fleeing from a
lion? [51] Rather, every one of them wishes that he should be
given unrolled (divine) scriptures. [52] Never! But they do not
fear the Hereafter. [53] Never! Indeed, this is a Reminder. [54]
So, whoever so wishes may take advice from it. [55] And they
will not take advice unless Allah so wills. He is worthy to be
feared, and worthy to forgive. [56]

Commentary

Surah Al-Muddththir is one of the Surahs that was sent down in very
early days of the revelation. Therefore, some of the scholars considered
this Surah to be the first one in order of revelation. However, according to
the well-known authentic ahadith, the first instalment of revelation

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comprised the initial verses of Surah Iqra'. Traditions show that after a
few verses of this Surah had been revealed, further revelation stopped for
a period of time. The period of time during which there was a temporary
cessation of revelation is termed as fatrat-ul-wahy. Towards the end of
this period, an incident took place that is recounted by the Holy Prophet
sfl thus:

While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. So I lifted my gaze
towards the sky and saw the same angel who had come to me in the cave
of Hira'. He was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. So I
was struck with awe until I fell down to the ground. Then, I went to my
family and I said, jj&jjj&j "Wrap me up, wrap me up" So, they
wrapped me up! Allah revealed the initial verses of Surah
Al-Muddaththir. (Sahihain).

The Holy Prophet »ft is addressed in this Surah as : -

Jlfjujl Ifcfc (O you, enveloped in a mantle. ..74:1) The word
al-Muddaththir is derived from dithar which refers to a 'thick, warm
over-garment [such as a cloak or mantle] which a person wears in winter
over his other clothes in order to protect himself from cold.' The form of
address is affectionate and endearing as was explained under
Al-Muzzammil in the preceding Surah. The two forms of address,
al-Muzzammil and al-Muddaththir, are near-synonyms. Ruh-ul-Ma'ani
cites a report from Jabir Ibn Zaid who says that Al-Muddaththir was
revealed after Al-Muzzammil. Some scholars attribute this narration to
Sayyidna Ibn Abbas as well. However, according to the narration
previously reported from Sahihain, it is clear that the first Surah to be
revealed [after the temporary cessation] was Al-Muddaththir . If
Al-Muzzammil was revealed before this, Sayyidna Jabir Ibn Abdullah
[the narrator of the Hadith] would have narrated it. Clearly,
Al-Muzzammil and Al-Muddaththir, are near-synonyms. Therefore, it is
very likely that the two Surahs might have been revealed in connection
with the same incident - when the Holy Prophet !§f , whilst walking,
heard a voice from the sky and saw Jibra'il Amin HS^sS sitting on a chair
between the sky and the earth, and then went to the house and wrapped
himself in a mantle. This at least confirms the point that the initial verses
of the two Surahs were among the first verses to be revealed after the
temporary break in the revelation. It is however not clear as to which set

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of the verses was revealed first, and which was revealed subsequently.
Authentic narratives confirm that the initial verses of Surah Iqra' were
first to be revealed. Al-Muzzam.mil and Al-Muddaththir were though
revealed approximately the same time in connection with the same
incident, there is a difference between the two: The injunctions given at
the beginning of Al-Muzzammil are related to the Holy Prophet's Ȥ|
personal purification and perfection, and in Al-Muddaththir the
injunctions are related to preaching, propagation and human reform.

Surah Al-Muddaththir lays down the following six injunctions:

Injunction [1]

jjjlipi (stand up and warn. ..74:2) 'Stand up' could be taken in its
primary sense. It will mean: 'Remove the additional clothes in which you
have wrapped yourself. It is also not unlikely that 'stand up' means
'Prepare yourself for the onerous task of reforming the creation of Allah'.
The command fa-andhir (and warn) comes from the infinitive indhar
(warning) which is based on love and affection', such as a father's
warning his children against the dangers of a snake, scorpion or fire. The
Prophets proclaim the Divine Message and warn its rejecters of the evil
consequences of rejection. Therefore, they have received the titles of
nadhlr and bashlr. 'Nadhlr' means 'the one who affectionately and
endearingly warns [people] against harmful things' and 'Bashlr' refers to
'the one who gives glad tidings'. The Qur'an has conferred both the titles
on the Holy Prophet »H and the Holy Book is replete with them. Here,
however, the Qur'an takes it as sufficient to mention indhar 'to warn'
because at the time of revelation of this verse there were only a handful
of Muslims. The rest of the people were all rejecters and disbelievers. They
needed to be warned and did not merit glad tidings.

Injunction [2]

'Jfi (..and pronounce the greatness of your Lord... 74:3) It means:
"Proclaim the greatness of your Lord both orally and practically. The
attribute rabb (Lord) has been used in this context because it is itself the
effective cause of the injunction, in that He is the Sustainer, Cherisher
and Nourisher of the entire world. He alone is worthy of Kibriya'. The
word takbir literally signifies 'to say Allahu Akbar '. This includes takbir
of tahrimah in the beginning of prayers and other takbirs also. Takbir is
recited outside the prayers as well, such as in adhan and iqamah. There

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is no indication in the Qur'an that this injunction specifically refers to
uttering Allahu Akbar to commence the prayers.

Injunction [3]

^iiij'Oj (and purify your clothes... 74:4) The word thiyab is the plural
of thaub. In its primary sense, it refers to 'clothes or garment'.
Metaphorically, the words thaub and libas at times refer to 'action, heart,
soul, moral character and religion.' Man's body may also be referred to as
'libas'. The Holy Qur'an and Arabic idioms bear ample testimony to this.
Scholars of tafsir have taken all these senses into account when
interpreting this verse. The variant interpretations may not be suspected
of contradiction or conflict. The different interpretations attached to the
verse enrich its significance. Thus the verse would signify that the body
and clothes must be kept clean from all kinds of physical impurity. The
heart and soul must be kept clean from false beliefs and adulterating
thoughts, and free from base morals or from moral decadence. From this it
is deducible that it is forbidden to trail the pants or loin-cloth below the
ankle, because this is likely to pollute the garment. The injunction of
cleansing the garment may signify that the garment must not be made or
bought of unlawful money. It must not be made in such a way as the
sacred law does not permit. Apparently, the injunction of cleansing the
clothes is not specific to prayers. The injunction applies under all
conditions. Thus the jurists have ruled that it is not permitted to keep the
body and clothes unclean, without necessity, even outside prayers.
Likewise, it is not permitted to sit in an unclean place. In times of
necessity, it would be an exception. [MazharT]. The Holy Qur'an says:

" '("'1, * *' " ,**(, ' ' A,. »,

'...Surely Allah loves those who are most repenting, and loves
those who keep themselves pure.[2:222] '

And according to a hadith narrative 'Cleanliness is half the faith'.
Therefore, a Muslim, under all conditions and circumstances, needs to
keep his body, clothes and house clean and pure and also maintain his
inner cleanliness of the heart. And Allah knows best!

Injunction [4]

(...and keep away from filth... 74:5). The letters 'RJZ' may be
read as rujz or rijz, and in either case the word has the same significance.

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Mujahid, 'Ikramah, Qatadah, Zuhri, Ibn Zaid and other leading
authorities of Tafsir interpret the word rujz as 'idols' in this context.
According to a narration of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4^>, it signifies 'any sin'.
The verse enjoins to give up idols or sins. Although the Holy Prophet H
never indulged in idolatry at any time in his life, he is commanded, for
emphasis, to abstain from it in future as he kept away from it in the past.
This command is in actual fact directed to the idolaters, so that they may
realise the importance of abstaining from idol-worship, as it enjoins the
Holy Prophet H to shun all filth [idols and sins] despite being sinless and
infallible.

Injunction [5]

j£LLj ly^^i'i (...and do no favour [to anyone merely] to ask more [in
exchange].... 74:6). In other words, no gift should be given to anyone
seeking to get back in return more than what was given. This indicates
that it is reprehensible to give to someone a gift with the intention that
the person will give him a higher gift. Although it seems to be allowed, by
another verse of the Qur'an, for common people, yet it is reprehensible
and morally unrighteous - especially for the Holy Prophet iH, it is
unlawful, as explained by Ibn Abbas

Injunction [6]

( and for the sake of your Lord, observe patience 74:7) The

word sabr literally signifies 'to restrain oneself. In the Qur'anic context,
the word has a very wide scope. It signifies to bind oneself to the laws of
Allah, to restrain oneself from things made unlawful by Allah, and to
control oneself, as far as possible, from unnecessary bewailing and
complaining in times of difficulties and hardships. Thus this injunction is
rather comprehensive which embraces almost the entire religion. On this
occasion, the Holy Prophet »|§ is directed to observe patience, particularly
because the earlier verses have directed him to invite the people towards
the true faith and to avoid the infidelity and shirk. It is obvious that he
will be opposed and persecuted by the forces of evil, as the result of his
missionary efforts. He should, therefore, be ready to bear all opposition
and persecution with patience and fortitude .

Having given these few injunctions to the Holy Prophet iH, the verses
further refer to the Hereafter and its horrors. The word naqur means
'trumpet' and the verb nuqira means 'to blow into the trumpet so that it

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makes a loud high sound'. After stating that the Day of Doom will be very
horrible for all the infidels, a particular arrogant and conceited disbeliever
has been described. He was a great mischief-maker and the gravity of his
punishment will befit the enormity and gravity of his sins.

The Annual Income of Walld Ibn Mughlrah: Ten Million Guineas

The disbeliever referred to here is Walid Ibn Mughirah. Allah had
favoured him with abundant wealth, property and children. According to
Ibn 'Abbas $e>, his land, property and gardens stretched from Makkah to
Ta'if. According to Thauri, his annual income was ten million Dinars.
Some scholars have estimated less than this amount. It is, nonetheless,
agreed that the income and yearly produce of his fields and gardens were
available in every season, winter or summer. Thus the Qur'an says:

Ij^a ^Ijjj fa 'J cJJJrj (and I gave him extensive wealth, [12] and

sons present before (his) eyes... 74:12-13) He was recognised as the Arab
leader. He was known among his fellow citizens by the title of raihanah
(the Fragrance) of the Quraish. He himself used to boastfully refer to
himself as Wahid Ibn-ul- Wahid 'Unique, the son of the Unique', meaning
'Neither I have any match in my nation, nor my father Mughirah.'.
[Qurtubl]. But he was ungrateful to Allah for His favours. Despite
accepting Qur'an as the Word of Allah, he imputed a lie to the Qur'an,
calling it sorcery and calling the Holy Prophet »H a sorcerer. Tafsir of
Qurtubi recounts the story thus: When the following passage of the
Qur'an was revealed, the Holy Prophet was reciting it:

jj-Li t_jyJl Jj.ISj *_JjJl j\e <^T^ jJjjlII Jjl 1,* s-iSJI jjj-

Ha Mim. [1] This is revelation of the Book from Allah, the
Mighty, the All-Knowing, [2] the One who forgives sins and
accepts repentance, the One who is severe in punishment, the
One who is the source of all power. There is no god but He. To
Him is the ultimate return (of all) [3]. [40:1-3].

Walid Ibn Mughirah, hearing the recitation, exclaimed
spontaneously, in which he was forced to concede as follows:

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'By Allah! I have heard such a speech from him [Muhammad]
as can neither be the speech of a mortal, nor of Jinn. It has
sweetness and elegance. Its upper part is fruit-bearing, and its
lower part causes water to flow. Its beauty, no doubt, surpasses
the beauty of all speeches, and cannot be superseded. It is not
the speech of any human being. '

When the Quraish heard about what the great wealthy Arab leader
had to say, it created a great convulsion in the Quraish, because it
resulted in a wide inclination of the people towards Islam. This was a
cause for concern for the leaders of the Quraish. They gathered and
discussed (that if Walid were to embrace the Islamic faith, the rest of the
Quraish would soon follow suit.) Abu Jahl put their mind at ease when he
took upon himself the responsibility of speaking to him and solving the
problem.

Dialogue between Abu Jahl And Walid: They Concur on the Holy
Prophet's Veracity

Abu Jahl went to Walid and sat next to him, pretending to be very
sad. Walid enquired, 'What is the matter? Why do you look so sad?' Abu
Jahl made the reply, 'The Quraish decided to collect money for you and
help you in your old age. Now they have learnt that you visit Muhammad
sH and son of Abu Quhafah [ie Sayyidna Abu Bakr so that you may
have some eatables from them, and to this end you flatter them. You
praise their speech. (Obviously, it was a lie that the Quraish was
collecting money to help Walid. The lie was invented merely to make him
angry. Similarly it was also a lie that he was getting food from the Holy
Prophet ^.)' Walid was highly enraged on hearing this. His anger knew
no bounds and said in arrogance and conceit, 'How can the Quraish think
this? I swear by Lat and 'Uzza [the two Arabian idols], I am not in need of
their food. Do they not know that I am superior to them in abundance of
wealth? However, when you say that Muhammad s|f is insane, nobody
would believe it. Did you ever see him perform any any act of insanity?'
Abu Jahl replied 'Never, by God!' He said, 'You claim that

Muhammad ^ is a soothsayer. Did you hear him speak like a
soothsayer?' Abu Jahl's reply was again in the negative. Then Walid
said, You say that he is a poet. Did you hear him recite poetry?' When
Abu Jahl declared that he had not, Walid added, You say that he is a

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liar. Did you ever heard him telling a lie? Abu Jahl was forced to concede
that they had never heard him tell a lie. (In fact, they had conferred upon
him the titles of As-Sadiq 'The Truthful' and Al-'Amin 'The Honest1.).
Then Walid said, 'You say that he is a soothsayer. Have you then seen
him uttering such words or doing such acts as the soothsayers are
accustomed to? We know well the utterings of the soothsayers.
Muhammad's discourse cannot be held as the utterance of a soothsayer.'
Abu Jahl again had to admit. 'No, by God!' Now Abu Jahl had to
withdraw from all such false allegations, but he was wondering what he
should say to the people about the Holy Prophet »H to stop them from
following him. So, he said to Walid, "Then, you tell me what we should
say about him?" Walid started thinking, then he raised his eyes towards
Abu Jahl, frowned in a hateful manner, and ultimately replied, 'I think
he is certainly a magician'. He knew well that the Holy Prophet *H is not
a magician either. But in order to devise an excuse for saying so, he
argued, 'Do you not see how his speech separates husband from wife,
brother from brother and father from son? This is the magical effect of
faith. As soon as a person embraces the faith, he begins to hate his
unbelieving mother, father and other relatives.' The verses describe him
thus:

(He pondered and suggested. [18] Death onto him! How [bad] is
the suggestion he has put forward! [19] Again, death unto him!
How [bad] is the suggestion he has put forward! [20] Then he
looked [to those around him,] [21] then he frowned and scowled,
[22] then turned his back, and waxed proud, [23] then said,
"This is nothing but traditional magic; [24] this is nothing but
saying of a mortal. "...25)

The word qaddara is derived from taqdir, and literally denotes 'to
suggest'. The wretched Walid was fully convinced of the veracity of the
Messengership of the Holy Prophet »H, but his anger got the better of
him, and being vanquished by his arrogance and conceit, he had decided
to oppose him. However, he wanted to abstain from lying openly, so that
he might not be exposed to shame and disgrace. Therefore, he pondered
very carefully, and suggested that he should be labelled a 'magician' on
the grounds that his speech causes separation between father and son,

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and between brothers, as it happens in the case of sorcery. He is therefore
cursed repeatedly in the verses cited above.

Unbelievers Abstained from Telling Lies

When we analyse, it would appear very clearly that all unbelievers
and transgressors were involved in committing all kinds of sins and
shameful deeds, but they abstained from the enormity of telling lies. Abu
Sufyan's statement in the royal court of Heraculus shows that the pagans
were willing to sacrifice their lives and children in opposing the Holy
Prophet Ǥ!, but they were not willing to tell lies lest they are socially
stigmatised as liars. Alas, in this so-called progressive world where
everything moves retrogressively 'telling lies' is no sin. It is in fact treated
as a great art. Let alone unbelievers, even the pious and religious
Muslims do not find it hateful. They pride upon telling lies and getting
others to tell lies. We seek Allah's refuge from such an attitude.

Children's Stay with the Father is a Great Boon

While mentioning the favours Allah had bestowed on Walid, the Holy
Qur'an has said,

fi > * * sis

'and sons present before (his) eyes, [13]'

This shows that just as the birth of children and their being alive are
a boon of Allah, their staying with parents is also a great divine blessing,
because it is the cause of coolness of their eyes and a satisfaction of their
heart. Additionally, abiding in their presence, children can be of
assistance to the parents in their service and businesses. But the progress
which this retrogressive age is making is based on gold and silver
currencies. Comfort and peace are founded on promissory notes. Parents
throw away their children in foreign countries. They are happy at their
children's staying overseas for years, and it does not matter if they do not
see their faces all their lives as long as they receive news of their huge
earnings and salaries or income, enabling them to express their
superiority to their family members. This indicates that they are unaware
of the concept of peace and comfort. This should be the result of forgetting
Allah as the Qur'an says:

t f , ji * * i *

|| ^ ... ill ) g ' <dJl I J^J

'...those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget their own

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selves_[59:19]'

y> VI &Z s'yU i^j (. . .And no one knows the hosts of your Lord but He
... 74:31) Muqatil, among the leading authorities, says that this is rebuttal
to Abu Jahl's statement. When he heard this verse which says that there
are nineteen angels in charge of Hell, he addressed the youth of Quraish
and said that Muhammad Hf has only nineteen companions, so there is
nothing to worry about. Baihaqi records a narrative from Suddi that
when verse 30 was revealed, a foolish Quraishi unbeliever, Abul-Asalain
by name, spoke out: 'O nation of Quraish, I alone am sufficient for the
nineteen. I will take care of ten with my right arm, and nine with my left
arm. Thus I will put an end to all nineteen of them.' On this occasion, this
verse was revealed. 'O fools, first of all one angel is sufficient for all.
Moreover, the number nineteen refers to the chiefs of angels. Under each
of these angels, the number of Allah's angels is legion beyond human
count or computation. Allah alone knows their number. They are ready at
hand to carry out the punishment to the unbelievers and transgressors.'

In the next verses, there is the mention of the Hereafter and its
horrors.

Jsl\ <j;^-V L^i (it (saqar. Hell) is one of the greatest things. ...74:35) The
pronoun in the phrase innaha refers to saqar 'Hell' which has been
mentioned in one of the preceding verses. The word kubar is the plural of
kubra which is an adjective for dahiyah or musibah 'calamity'. The verse
purports to say that Hell which the unbelievers will enter will be one of
the greatest calamities. Besides, there will be many different kinds of
torments and tortures.

'J-%'j\ ol frli 'J-S (to the one who wishes to come forward
[towards good deeds] or to go back [from them]... 74:37) In this context, 'to
come forward' signifies 'coming forward towards faith and obedience' and
ta'akhkhur 'to go backward' signifies 'moving away from faith and
obedience'. The verse purports to warn against the torment and torture of
the Hellfire. This applies to all human beings in general. Some accept the
warning and are guided by the truth, and the unfortunate ones hold back
from accepting the warning, turn away from it and reject it.

i^-**1 ^1 j i_r-*j (Everyone will be detained [in the

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Hell] because of what he did, [38] except the People of the Right, [i.e. those

who will be given their Book of Deeds in their right hands] 74:38-39)

The word rahinah is used in the sense of marhunah 'will be detained'.
The word is derived from rahn 'to give something valuable to a
pawnbroker as a security for a debt. The valuable thing is thus merely
detained by the pawnbroker. He cannot use it or take advantage of it'.
Likewise, every person on the Day of Judgement will be detained in lieu
of his sins, except those who will be given their Book of Deeds in their
right hands. In this context, 'detention' could refer to being detained in
Hell. In this case, the statement would mean that every person will be
held in pledge in Hell against his sins to receive punishment, except the
People of the Right. The context indicates that the People of the Right are
those who have repaid their debt, i.e. they have fulfilled their obligations
in this world towards Allah and other human beings. In these instances
there is no need for them to be detained. This interpretation seems to be
plain, simple and straightforward. However, if 'detention' refers to being
held at some other place before giving account or before admission into
Paradise or Hell, it signifies that every person will be held to give an
account of his deeds. No person will be permitted to move out unless the
account is taken. In this case, the exception of the People of the Right
could refer to the sinless who are not accountable, such as minors or
immature children as explained by Sayyidna 'Ali 4^&. According to a
Tradition, a segment of the Holy Prophet's 5|| community would be
exempted from accountability. They will enter Paradise without having to
account for actions. Possibly, it could be referring to this segment.
According to Surah Al-Waqi'ah, there will be three categories of people on
the Plain of Gathering: [1] sabiqun 'the Foremost' and muqarrabun 'who
have attained nearness to Allah'; [2] the People of the Right; and [3] the
People of the Left. On this occasion, the muqarrabun have been merged
with 'the People of the Right', and only the latter people have been
mentioned. From this point of view, there is no express text which states
that all the People of the Right will be excepted, and will not be detained
for accountability. The first interpretation, that is being held in Hell,
appropriately fits the context. And Allah knows best!

^LjidJ! ipliS 'f^Lk^^S (Then intercession of intercessors will not avail

Surah Al-Muddaththir: 74 : 1 - 56

647

them... 74:48) The attached pronoun of tanfa'uhum refers to those sinners
who have been mentioned in the preceding verses. They confessed to four
crimes: [1] they did not perform obligatory prayers; [2] they did not feed
the poor, that is, they did not spend on the necessities of the poor; [3] they
indulged (in mocking at the truth) along with those who indulged in
opposing Islam or committing sins and shameful deeds; and [4] they
denied the Day of Requital.

This verse purports to say that whoever has these characteristics,
including denial of the Day of Requital, is an infidel. The intercession of
anyone who tries to intercede for an infidel will be of no benefit to him on
the Day of Judgement. Even if all the intercessors join forces to intercede,
it will not help. This is because intercession is only useful if the conditions
for it are met. Therefore, the verse uses the plural expression, thus:

'intercession of intercessors'

No Intercession will Benefit an Unbeliever, but will Benefit a
Believer

It is deducible from the verse under comment that, besides infidels, all
Muslims, even though they may be sinners, will benefit from intercession
as many authentic ahadith bear ample testimony to this. The intercessors
will be the Prophets of Allah, Allah's friends and righteous personalities.
It is confirmed that the general body of believers will intercede for one
another, and their intercession will be accepted.

A Special Note

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4& narrates that Allah's angels and
Prophets, the martyrs and the righteous will intercede for sinners in the
Hereafter, and they will be delivered from Hell by virtue of their
intercession, except the four types of sinners who have been classified
above, that is, those who failed to perform their obligatory prayer and to
pay their Zakah, those who opposed Islam with the opponents of Islam
and denied the Hereafter. This shows that intercession will not be
accepted for those who fail to perform their obligatory Salah and pay their
Zakah. However, other narratives indicate that the correct view with
regard to the verse under comment is that the unacceptability of

Surah Al-Muddaththir: 74 : 1 - 56

648

intercession refers to those sinners who commit the four types of crimes
that include the rejection of the Hereafter. Besides the rejection, it is not
necessary that sinners committing other sins should be punished in the
same way. However, there are other Hadith narratives that refer to
certain major sins which deprive people of intercession. For instance, if a
person denies the veracity of intercession, or if he denies the existence of
the Pond of Kauthar, he will have no share in either of the two.

;X^! p-fr^ (So what has happened to them that they are
turning away from the Reminder... 74:49)

The word tadhkirah (Reminder), in this context, refers to the Holy
Qur'an, because the word literally signifies a 'reminder or something that
reminds'. The Qur'an is unique in reminding Allah's attributes of
perfection, His mercy and wrath, and the reward and punishment.
Towards the end, the verse 54 has explained that the 'Reminder' is the
Holy Qur'an that is rejected by them. The allergy of the infidels against
the Holy Qur'an has been mentioned in verses 50 and 51 in the following
words, <T)^i ^ i) .V^klJ *JJ- ^is^'as if they were wild donkeys, fleeing
from a lion?" The word qaswarah used in verse 51 has two meanings: [1] a
'lion'; and [2] an 'archer' or a 'hunter'. Both meanings have been reported
from the noble Companions.

SjiiJl J*!j ^ya\ J*l y> (...He is worthy to be feared, and worthy to
forgive... 74:56) Allah is 'Ahl-ut-taqwa in the sense that 'He alone is
worthy to be feared and entitled to be obeyed'. Ahl-ul-Maghfirah signifies
that 'He alone is the Being Who forgives the sins of even the greatest
sinners whenever He so wishes': No one else has the power to do this .

Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Muddaththir
Ends here